


Ponytail

by oakest



Series: he’s baby, your honor [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Anyways, Canonical Child Abuse, Gen, Hurt Zuko (Avatar), Mentioned Ozai (Avatar), however it is much more than simply implied/referenced, literally pure pain, loserlord Ozai can suck my (redacted), so please be careful, sprinkling of hurt/comfort, the abuse is not directly depicted
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:33:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 534
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26764390
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oakest/pseuds/oakest
Summary: Ozai’s fire touches more than just skin. The hair that isn’t instantly incinerated falls away in rough patches during the agonizingly painful aftermath, and though Iroh can do little to numb the pain, he can give Zuko a haircut. So he gives Zuko a haircut.
Relationships: Iroh & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: he’s baby, your honor [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1948834
Comments: 7
Kudos: 112





	Ponytail

Iroh steels his hand, wills it not to shake. He's held far deadlier weapons in his hands than the simple razor he holds now, and he's faced a fair few more frightening enemies than the crying boy sitting before him, so he knows there should be nothing to fear. Unsurprisingly, that realization does the opposite of comfort him.

Deep breathing. That's what will comfort him. That's what will steady him, and that's the soothing rhythm Zuko needs to hear and hopefully mimic. He can't see Zuko's face from where he's standing behind his nephew, but the way his shoulders shake tells Iroh tears are undoubtedly escaping against Zuko's will. He says nothing about them, happy that Zuko is allowing himself some expression, even in this restrained form.

“Can't you just get on with it already?” Zuko demands through gritted teeth. For a moment, Iroh gets caught on the sound of his nephew's voice - the eager, hopeful voice from just three days ago is now not only angry, but scratchy; his throat is clearly sore from screaming. But Iroh swallows the discomfort lodged in his own throat, and begins to follow through on Zuko's request.

In the quiet of Zuko's new chambers on their ship together, the hush of Zuko's hair falling around their feet is a deafening noise. Iroh cuts through most of the long pieces of hair Zuko's right side first, leaving tufts that he'll shave off completely soon enough. He avoids the left side for as long as possible.

Once the right is shaved smooth, a careful diamond shape half-formed on the crown of Zuko's head, Iroh knows what he must do. He's sure Zuko knows, too, from the way the muscles in his neck clench, so Iroh narrates his every move in a soft voice. He's careful to speak loud enough for Zuko to hear him through his good ear on his other side, but quiet enough that it can still remain in the realm of what he hopes is soothing. He tells Zuko as he's about to peel away the bandages, he tells him when they're set aside, and he tells him when he's raising the razor to the edge of the affected area.

Most of the hair here doesn't need to be shaved. It had been burned off. The singing patterns are rough and uneven around his ear, though. The haircut had been Iroh's idea to even it out - Zuko hadn't wanted it at all. He didn't see anything but ugliness when he looked in the mirror anyways. Iroh would allow his nephew the space for many things, but he would not allow this. He would not let Zuko dig his own nails into the open wound every time he saw his own reflection. Ozai had left enough of a mark; he would not permanently take away Zuko's control over himself so long as Iroh was around to see to it.

It's a small thing, he knows. But if control over his hair is all Iroh can offer Zuko, it is what he will give him.

Zuko's black locks of hair fall to the ground around them like leaves drifting down to mark the coming of a new season. 

**Author's Note:**

> y’all are quick to hate on the ponytail look, but this headcannon wouldn’t leave me alone and it is high time we stop clowning my boy for this haircut


End file.
